This invention relates to computer systems and more particularly to an apparatus for handling and storing optical disk cartridges. Even more particularly this invention relates to the interface between the control system of such apparatus and the optical drive used for reading and writing data.
An optical disk is a data storage medium which is readable by a laser-based reading device. Optical disks known as "compact disks" or "CDs" have become increasingly popular during the past few years for recording music and audio-visual works. Due to the huge storage capacity of optical disks as compared to conventional magnetic storage media, optical disks known as "ROM disks" have become popular for storing computer readable information. Recent technology has produced optical disks which can be written as well as read by the computer, thus, in the future optical disks are expected to become increasingly more important in the computer industry and may eventually replace magnetically readable and writable storage media such as "floppy disks" and "hard disks."
Optical disks of the type used in computer applications are generally mounted in cartridges, and the reading devices generally read or write data through a slot provided on a surface of the cartridge. Currently, most optical disks are hand-inserted into disk readers. However, for large databases consisting of many optical disks, it is preferable, and perhaps essential, to provide an optical disk storage system for storing the disks at known locations, and an optical disk handling system which is capable of retrieving a desired disk from a storage location and inserting the disk into an optical disk reader. In a disk storage system wherein the stored disks and an associated disk reader are arranged in a longitudinally extending, two-dimensional array consisting of vertically extending columns and laterally extending rows, it is necessary for a disk handling system to be capable of engaging a disk, moving it vertically, laterally, and longitudinally and then releasing it in order to remove it from storage, move it into aligned relationship with the disk reader, and insert it into the disk reader.
Currently, optical disk readers suitable for use in an optical disk handling system are designed for manual insertion of disks. These optical disk readers have human oriented features, such as pushbuttons for initiating operations and lights that indicate the status of the optical drive. For an optical disk handling system to be economical, it will have to operate with the current, human oriented, optical drives, and thus must mimic human operator features.
There is need in the art then for an optical disk handling system that will interact with an optical disk drive in the same manner as a human operator. There is a further need for such a system that performs such operations using inputs and outputs that function in a manner suitable for a human operator. A still further need is for such a system that inserts and removes cartridges in manner that mimics the operations that would be done by a human operator.
Various features and components of such a cartridge handling system are disclosed in U.S. patent applications:
(A) Ser. 278,102 filed Nov. 30, 1988, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,998,232 for OPTICAL DISK HANDLING APPARATUS WITH FLIP LATCH of Methlie, Oliver, Stavely and Wanger; PA1 (B) Ser. No. 288,608 filed Dec. 22, 1988, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,062,093 for OPTICAL DISK INSERTION APPARATUS of Christie, Wanger, Dauner, Jones and Domel; PA1 (C) Ser. No. 298,388 filed Jan. 18, 1989, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,101,387 for LATERAL DISPLACEMENT CONTROL ASSEMBLY FOR AN OPTICAL DISK HANDLING SYSTEM of Wanger, Methlie, Stavely and Oliver; and PA1 (D) Ser. No. 305,898 filed Feb. 2, 1989, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,014,255 for OPTICAL DISK CARTRIDGE HANDLING APPARATUS WITH PASSIVE CARTRIDGE ENGAGEMENT ASSEMBLY of Wanger, Methlie, Jones and Stavely; PA1 (E) Ser. No. 326,572 filed Feb. 28, 1989, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,043,962 for CARTRIDGE HANDLING SYSTEM of Wanger, Methlie, Christie, Dauner, Jones, Oliver, and Stavely, PA1 (F) Ser. No. 326,146 filed Mar. 19, 1989, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,040,159 for MECHANICAL SENSE OF TOUCH IN A CONTROL SYSTEM of Oliver, Wanger, Stavely, Methlie, Bianchi, Kato, and Proehl,
which are each hereby specifically incorporated by reference for all that is disclosed therein.